I have a feeling Heidi's prediction about E3 will be true. For years, I've wondered if there was much of a point in E3 at all since there are so many gaming websites with near-constant coverage. Throw in that we're in the later stage of a console generation, and we'll probably get a lot of trailers for games that were already announced a while ago. It's hard to be as excited by a presentation that amounts to "Hey, we're still working on that game we announced last year."

I know a lot of people love to watch crappy movies, but I honestly hate watching crappy movies. I feel like it's a waste of time, that I could spend watching a good movie. I mean things like an incoherent story, characters I don't care about, scenes with no life to them are all just boring. That's not to say like a low budget film with a good story but bad FX, or bad actors can't be fun, but those aren't bad movies to me.

-Streaming and Rights: Yeah, this is becoming an issue. Granted, I'm not a big fan of streaming. I just don't find it stimulating. If anything, it's essentially gaming's version of reality TV; cheap to produce, easy to get into, and universally low-quality. Sometimes someone will do more with it, using the stream as a platform for commentary about design or story, but considering how streaming has this "must play the latest and most popular!" mentality those are few and far between.

As for rights, this is going to be a stickler. I can get some of it, like Atlus not wanting Persona 5 spoiled. That makes sense because of how plot-heavy Persona is and that's almost like streaming a movie. Why spoil something is meant to be experienced fresh? As for Sugiyama....well, screw him, the bigoted, war crime-denying twit. The whole DBZF thing definitely needs sorted out, Toei clearly not getting that people are playing it like a sport.

-Switch: Yeah, the Switch is making people NERVOUS. As in "oh crap, we clearly underestimated this and now we're having to make nice with Nintendo" nervous due to its meteoric rise in sales. Turns out most people don't really care about all this "4000 HP, megaton processor; no, this is totally an upgrade from last-gen, we swear!" crap as long as something is convenient. And that's before getting into titles like Breath of the Wild, Mario Odyssey, Xenoblade 2, Octopath Traveler, Smash Ultimate, etc that have garnered acclaim and sales. And that's before getting into how the Switch in Japan is barreling towards the PS4's lifetimes numbers already.

-Lootboxes: Yeah, some people just got way too greedy with them.

-E3: Like I've said before, the longstanding problem with E3 has been that it's supposed to be a trade show, but they also want it to come off like a fan convention. As such, it's led to a lot of mixed messaging, tonal whiplash, dull pressers, and years where nothing happens. Plus it just kills gaming news for at least a month on average. Still, I find it's going to be a slow decline with companies being in denial about it.

-FFVII Remake: Gonna be blunt: this project even being started was a mistake. Current Square is not 90s Square, as evidenced by what we've heard and seen of development. I mean, it's basically Square giving up and saying "Yeah, we have no idea how to surpass this, so we're just going to rely on past glories." And they wonder why people are nervous about the company.

-Shenmu: -Hears the rumbling of Shenmue zealots-. Yeah, not gonna lie, as someone who's actually played Shenmue, it does NOT hold up. It wasn't so much a game as the world's most expensive tech demo. A curiosity, but little more than that.

-Looks like Heidi's bad luck with "just after This Week in Games gets posted" news continues, as Tekken's Katsuhiro Harada just announced that he's going to be the leader & supervisor of Bandai Namco's "Fighting Game eSports Strategy" team, which includes DB FighterZ. Hopefully, this will put an end to the problems with cons & events getting DBFZ taken away from them, as long as they work with Harada himself.

-In regards to Game Tengoku Cruisin’ Mix Special, apparently there was a Special Edition of the Saturn version that came with an 30-minute OVA on VHS, so I wonder if the PS4 version includes that OVA, because that'd be a neat extra.

-As for Shenmue III, I think Heidi is allowing her own feelings about the series to overshadow things. I'm not saying that the new game will be a glorious success or anything, but earlier this year Sega put out the HD remasters of Shenmue I & II. When those were getting ready to come out, you could find people all over online talking about how everyone is going to finally see the light & realize how bad those games were, & that their nostalgia blinded them... And then nothing like that happened. Shnemue I & II was reviewed warmly, and the worst we heard was that Sega rushed the game out a bit & didn't address some glitches, but have since patched them out.

In other words, "Shenmue haters" were seemingly proven wrong. Both critics & fans apparently knew what they were getting themselves into when playing the original Shenmue games in 2018, so to think that Shenmue III is going to suddenly go wrong just because other open-world games have raised the bar seems a bit silly. Really, I don't think most people are expecting Shenmue III to even try to be the next big & innovative open-world game. I think most just want a new Shenmue, knowing what that entails, with some new & modern additions, but otherwise the same kind of game that the first two were. If you're like Heidi & aren't interested in that, then fine, but that doesn't mean that it's going to suddenly fail because people don't know what they're expecting, even though the latest release seems to indicate that people do in fact know what to expect out of Shenmue.

In other words, "Shenmue haters" were seemingly proven wrong. Both critics & fans apparently knew what they were getting themselves into when playing the original Shenmue games in 2018, so to think that Shenmue III is going to suddenly go wrong just because other open-world games have raised the bar seems a bit silly. Really, I don't think most people are expecting Shenmue III to even try to be the next big & innovative open-world game. I think most just want a new Shenmue, knowing what that entails, with some new & modern additions,

And there in lies the problem the first two Shemue games were not particularly well designed games from a gameplay perspective if the third game is simply going to be like the first two games (with weaker looking visuals) that's not really a plus. Especially in an era where people bemoan titles like Call Of Duty and others for being more and more of the same. I mean even if the game achieves the success that the original two games couldn't acheive in the lifetime that doesn't completely mitigate most of it's flaws.

I mean you can't blame people for being cynical towards Shenume 3 especially if they're among the contingent that bought into and were let down by the hype of the original.

AiddonValentine wrote:

-FFVII Remake: Gonna be blunt: this project even being started was a mistake. Current Square is not 90s Square, as evidenced by what we've heard and seen of development. I mean, it's basically Square giving up and saying "Yeah, we have no idea how to surpass this, so we're just going to rely on past glories." And they wonder why people are nervous about the company.

To be pretty fair though the Final Fantasy VII remake has been something people have been clamorig for every since Square whipped out that tech demo at E3 05 so you can't blame Square for pursuing that. And at the very least it looks less lazy then their undercooked ports of games like Chrono Trigger and the iOS ports of the earlier Final Fantasy games.

Take most of what was said about Shenmue III and apply it to Death Stranding. As time goes on, I'm reminded more and more of the development of Daikatana. Big-name designer, huge budget, ridiculously lavish production offices... it just keeps adding up.

And there in lies the problem the first two Shemue games were not particularly well designed games from a gameplay perspective if the third game is simply going to be like the first two games (with weaker looking visuals) that's not really a plus. Especially in an era where people bemoan titles like Call Of Duty and others for being more and more of the same. I mean even if the game achieves the success that the original two games couldn't acheive in the lifetime that doesn't completely mitigate most of it's flaws.

I mean you can't blame people for being cynical towards Shenume 3 especially if they're among the contingent that bought into and were let down by the hype of the original.

But here's the thing: Not everyone thinks that the first two Shenmue games were poorly designed in the first place. A lot of people who loved Shenmue loved the methodical pace, the feeling of it being a real world (or at least what the technology of the time could handle), and the ability to just walk around & "do nothing"; plus, the fighting was based on Virtua Fighter, which was a plus. Yes, there are those out there who were disappointed with the original two games, but it seems like those people also feel that everyone else who loved Shenmue are simply blinded by nostalgia & don't realize that it's a bad game, even though that has been proven to not be the case.

Look, I'm not exactly in love with Shenmue either, but I definitely see the appeal of it. I played through a fair amount of the original back in the early 00s (I at least got to the point where Ryo gets the forklift job at the wharf), and I did enjoy my time with the game. I fully understand why people will not like it, but I also see why people went utterly insane with happiness when the third game got announced at E3 a few years ago.

Shenmue really is a game you either "get", or you just don't. You think it's too flawed the be enjoyable, but there are tons of people out there who feel otherwise, and are simply hoping for Shenmue III to be what the first two games were like, even if you feel that's a bad thing.

Again, I don't think people are looking for a revelation from what Yu Suzuki's team is developing... They simply want a new Shenmue. Also, I think Suzuki isn't revealing much simply because he's from a generation that didn't really reveal that much during development; he's an old school game developer, & will only reveal stuff when he feels it's up to snuff. In fact, I believe that's exactly what Suzuki said with the last update, that he doesn't want to showcase the game in too early of a form.

Regarding E3, I wonder when the day will come when it will be declared completely too costly, insubstantial, and pointless to continue holding. It used to be something to get excited over, but it looks like it's becoming more of a burden than a boon. I guess only time will tell. Personally, I think gamers just want to stop going outside their homes to experience any kind of news about upcoming games.

thenix wrote:

I know a lot of people love to watch crappy movies, but I honestly hate watching crappy movies. I feel like it's a waste of time, that I could spend watching a good movie. I mean things like an incoherent story, characters I don't care about, scenes with no life to them are all just boring. That's not to say like a low budget film with a good story but bad FX, or bad actors can't be fun, but those aren't bad movies to me.

You and me both. I just don't see the appeal in doing that. I find it incredibly stupid.

I doubt it on Persona 5. For whatever reason, spin offs set aside, as far as I know, no mainline persona game has been on anything but a Sony console, and no Shin Megami game after nocturne has been on anything but a Nintendo console. Only the spin offs and crossover games seem to have no console boundaries.

I would also reserve judgement on Shenmue III, until we something more concrete. I think some people have mythologized this game to hell and are building some unrealistic expectations better left for the likes FF7 remake. I think if compared objective to 1 and 2 it will probably be an okay game.

Pretty sure no Switch Yakuza games has less to do with Sony being involved in the series and more about how they found little success with the the two portable Yakuza Black Panther games, and combined with how badly Yakuza bombed when they did try to put on a Nintendo Platform (Failing to sell even 2k in it's opening week) It's easy to see why Sega might believe the series wouldn't find success on a Nintendo portable system.

I haven't been able to play any modern games since where I'm from they're incredibly expensive, but I still follow all the gaming news and here are my opinions:
- I'm a little sad that the E3 will become less relevant, there was always a sense of surprise and anticipation to it, but I understand that game companies figured out that there are better ways to anounce their new games and hardware;
- It's good to see Nintendo doing well with the Switch, the first game I played was SMB 1 and I owned a N64 and a GBC, so I have quite a history with Nintendo. I would like to have a Switch in the future. I know people still have issues with its online service and Nintendo should try to be more like its competition in that regard and I wish the rumored new model will arrive in 2020 because I think is still to early for a new revision. Regarding ports, Persona 5 is the most probable to happen soon and I would love to see the reaction the announcement would cause;
- FFVII is the only FF I've ever finished and I did it only a couple years ago and I liked it, but I honestly never liked how SE tried to make it look realistic with every subsequent spin-off. FFVII has a very 90s anime and characters like Cloud, Caith Sith and Red XIII always looked odd to me in Advent Children and moments like Cloud's crossdressing sidequest and Tifa's slap fight with Scarlett would look ridiculous in the remake in my opinion;
- Regarding Shenmue III, I don't think it'll be a Mighty No. 9 level disaster, but I have the feeling most game review sites would call it outdated like Yooka-Laylee, but I'm glad that the fans and backers will see the conclusion to the trilogy.

Take most of what was said about Shenmue III and apply it to Death Stranding. As time goes on, I'm reminded more and more of the development of Daikatana. Big-name designer, huge budget, ridiculously lavish production offices... it just keeps adding up.

Metal Gear Solid 5 was such a disappointment, and easily the worst game in the franchise that it felt more like a western open-world shooter game than a stealth-based Metal Gear Solid game. I'm kinda thinkin Kojima was only good when he had Konami around to keep him in check. Death Stranding looks so.. uninteresting. From what I've seen it's basically a walking simulator and an excuse to chum it up with American celebrities.

Take most of what was said about Shenmue III and apply it to Death Stranding. As time goes on, I'm reminded more and more of the development of Daikatana. Big-name designer, huge budget, ridiculously lavish production offices... it just keeps adding up.

Metal Gear Solid 5 was such a disappointment, and easily the worst game in the franchise that it felt more like a western open-world shooter game than a stealth-based Metal Gear Solid game. I'm kinda thinkin Kojima was only good when he had Konami around to keep him in check. Death Stranding looks so.. uninteresting. From what I've seen it's basically a walking simulator and an excuse to chum it up with American celebrities.

I have to agree. Some of it can probably be chalked up to Konami, like how the story basically just stops which is probably due to Konami not wanting development to go on indefinitely, but there were a lot of decisions that came from Kojima that made me think he lost track of what he wanted to do. Overall, MGS5 was what I would call a good game, but a pretty poor Metal Gear. If nothing else, it means I'm not going to assume it will be great because of Kojima, especially since what I've seen looks a lot like a display of what he wanted to do, but Konami wouldn't let him. Maybe that will work out, but I'm worried it will end up being a giant vanity project. Honestly, Kojima's fascination with Hollywood is the only reason I can think of for replacing David Hayter with Keifer Sutherland, without telling Hayter by the way.

Take most of what was said about Shenmue III and apply it to Death Stranding. As time goes on, I'm reminded more and more of the development of Daikatana. Big-name designer, huge budget, ridiculously lavish production offices... it just keeps adding up.

Metal Gear Solid 5 was such a disappointment, and easily the worst game in the franchise that it felt more like a western open-world shooter game than a stealth-based Metal Gear Solid game. I'm kinda thinkin Kojima was only good when he had Konami around to keep him in check. Death Stranding looks so.. uninteresting. From what I've seen it's basically a walking simulator and an excuse to chum it up with American celebrities.

I have to agree. Some of it can probably be chalked up to Konami, like how the story basically just stops which is probably due to Konami not wanting development to go on indefinitely, but there were a lot of decisions that came from Kojima that made me think he lost track of what he wanted to do. Overall, MGS5 was what I would call a good game, but a pretty poor Metal Gear. If nothing else, it means I'm not going to assume it will be great because of Kojima, especially since what I've seen looks a lot like a display of what he wanted to do, but Konami wouldn't let him. Maybe that will work out, but I'm worried it will end up being a giant vanity project. Honestly, Kojima's fascination with Hollywood is the only reason I can think of for replacing David Hayter with Keifer Sutherland, without telling Hayter by the way.

Pretty sure this game was both a critical darling (agg rating over 91-94 depending on platform which is pretty much right on line with all the other games) and a commercial success (6 million + sold as of Dec 2015), not to mention a lot of awards it racked up. So to me it basically looks like your talking out of your ass on this one.

Kojima has earned any praise he receives, whether its Metal Gear, ZOE, Boktai, he has always been creative and innovative, and very versatile, just look at his span of genres, even PT, a trailer gets more praise as a horror game than actual games in the genre. Honestly, while their is an off chance it can flop, Im expecting death stranding to be a success both financially and critically.

I think people just tend to forget how long games actually take to make. There is a reason Bethsda tends to announce their games when they are actually about to be released. But to many others jump the gun and literally announce them when they aren't even in development phase without understanding that the modern person, especially gamers have the attention span of a 3 year old. Some of the most successful games probably have at least as long development times as some of the disasters, its just that they were better kept under wraps.

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